Sinister Schemes
by FantomoDrako
Summary: ATTENTION! This story is on hiatus and is up for adoption! Inuyasha has been feeling strange. Sesshomaru feels it, too. What exactly is it and what does it have to do with them?
1. Just Another Day

**A/N:** Hello fellow IY fans! This is my first IY fanfic so don't hate it too much. The first IY fic I posted though, was Fangs of the Foe. I started this one first, but finished that one in one day, so I called it my first. I'm looking for a beta, too. Wanna help me out? Anyway, enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** I own the third Inuyasha movie. I'll own the fourth soon, too. Sadly, that is all the Inuyasha I own. :'(

**Chapter One: **Just Another Day

A gentle breeze whispered through the leaves. Many small animals paused to listen to the soft rustling. They quickly scampered away after picking up the scent of a predator.

Keen ears twitched, picking up the soft sounds.

Kagome glanced at Inuyasha's ears. Seeing them twitch, she longed to touch them. She had once, when she first saw Inuyasha. Ever since then, she had been itching to do it again. She sighed, knowing he would never let her.

Sango glanced sideways at her friend. She felt like sighing herself. They had been wandering aimlessly for four days, searching for clues to Naraku's whereabouts. Inuyasha had been a little edgy since they set out and nobody knew why. A small, sudden weight on her shoulder shook Sango out of her thoughts. Kirara meowed in her ear, nuzzling Sango's cheek and earning a smile in return.

'_Ah, Sango's smile is so sweet.' _Miroku thought, finding himself smiling as well. He edged closer to Sango, his hand reaching out -

SMACK!

"Pervert!" Sango yelled, glaring daggers at the monk. She sped up, leaving Miroku behind to nurse his red, hand-printed cheek. Kagome, Inuyasha and Shippo just rolled their eyes.

"Are we near any villages? I'm tired of walking!" whined Shippo. He turned big, innocent eyes towards Kagome, knowing he'd never convince Inuyasha by himself.

Kagome turned to Shippo. "I'm tired of walking, too. Do you guys know of anywhere nearby where we can rest for a while?" she asked, looking around.

"I believe there is a village a little more than a day's travel ahead if we continue in this direction," Miroku said. "There is a large mansion there. It is said the Lord who owns it has a beautiful daughter that…" he trailed off after catching the murderous look Sango was throwing him. "That always welcomes travellers!" he said quickly, hoping to avert the demon slayer's wrath.

From the front of the group came a familiar huff.

Kagome and Shippo fought back giggles. "That monk is hopeless," Shippo whispered to her. "Do you think he'll ever learn?"

"I'm not sure, Shippo," she replied to the young fox demon. "But if anyone can break his lecherous ways, it's Sango." Shippo nodded in agreement. Raising her voice so he could hear her, Kagome asked Inuyasha if they could stop at the village Miroku had suggested.

Inuyasha did not turn to face them when he answered. "Whatever. But you had better not complain anymore now, Shippo. You got that runt?"

"What? I was not complaining!" Shippo yelled at the half-demon's back. "You just said that 'coz you like picking on me!"

Inuyasha whirled around. "Yeah?" he growled, "I wouldn't if you weren't so annoying!" He lunged for Shippo. "Come here!"

Inuyasha had made three unsuccessful attempts to catch Shippo when Kagome decided enough was enough.

"Sit, boy!"

The enchanted necklace glowed, dragging Inuyasha face-first into the dirt with a thud.

"What was that for!?"

Kagome gave another sigh.

------------------------------------------------------------

Far away, a little girl was questioning her travelling companion.

"Master Jaken, Lord Sesshomaru seems to be acting a little different. Have you noticed?"

"Rin! You should never question anything Lord Sesshomaru does!" The small, toad-like creature snapped at the young girl. "I still don't know why Lord Sesshomaru hasn't left you somewhere."

Rin either did not hear his last comment or chose to ignore it.

Jaken silently agreed with her though. His Lord's behaviour had changed slightly during the past few days. He seemed more thoughtful and focused, as if he knew something that no one else did. Even more so than usual.

"Keep up," came the cold, flat command from ahead.

"Wait, Lord Sesshomaru!" Jaken wailed. Rin smiled and ran in front of him, laughing as he stumbled.

------------------------------------------------------------

It was late evening when Kagome insisted they stop for the night. Shippo sat down happily, giving Kirara a pat when she sat beside him. Sango smiled at the two small demons and sat down nearby, glaring at Miroku to make sure he sat an arms-length away. He did so, somewhat reluctantly. Inuyasha wandered off to find some firewood.

The companions relaxed, the tension that had been slowly building in the last few days temporarily leaving. The mood became much lighter after Inuyasha returned and they got a fire going. Sango and Kagome rummaged through her yellow pack for something to eat.

As they all nodded off to sleep sometime later, Inuyasha lay awake. He gazed at the stars as though they held an answer for him. He had been feeling strange lately. He couldn't shake the feeling and he didn't understand it. It had been making him more rude and edgy as a result. He internally winced every time he accidentally snapped at someone. He didn't know why he was taking it out on them. He just wanted it to stop. He couldn't tell them, they wouldn't understand. _He_ didn't even understand! How could he explain to someone else if he couldn't explain to himself?

'_What's happening?'_ he thought sadly.

------------------------------------------------------------

**A/N:** Sorry if it's a little short. Well what do you think? I don't really like giving away _too_ much in the first chapter. I think it ruins the story a lot of the time. Also depends on how long that chapter _is_, too. Have I left you guessing? Don't worry, I don't even know what's happening. Geez, slack writer I am! I will get to fixing that. Constructive criticism appreciated. Flames will be used to heat my room in case my heater goes fritzy again.


	2. Enlightenment

**A/N:** Yay, second chapter! Sorry for the wait! Thanks to all those who reviewed! One reviewer asked if I could tell what was happening to them. That would give it away! You'll find out later in the story. Until then… Mwuahahahaha!!!! Special thanks to UpperClassK9 for beta-ing!

**Disclaimer:** I own the third, and now the fourth, InuYasha movie. But I am not Rumiko Takahashi, so I do not own any legally binding contracts of ownership over IY. -sniff-

"Speech"

'_Thoughts'_

**Chapter Two:** Enlightenment

Inuyasha had slept fitfully. Wild, unexplained images had chased each other around his mind all night. Feeling a little tired and antsy, he got up. He did a quick stretch, working any kinks out of his back. The others were slowly coming awake.

Breakfast was an unusually quiet affair, as it had been since they noticed Inuyasha's change in behaviour. They ate in silence, except for the occasional sound of fist-meeting-head and whining.

They set off not long after. Kagome didn't think she could another day full of stiff silence. Knowing Inuyasha was never one for idle chit-chat, she decided to try Sango. "Hey Sango, what do you think is wrong with Inuyasha?"

Sango shook her head. "I've asked myself that many times lately, but I found no answer," she turned to Kagome. "Asking me will get you nowhere. Why don't you ask him?"

Kagome's mood instantly dropped. "He wouldn't tell me if I did. He'd just say there was nothing wrong, he's fine and I shouldn't ask pointless or stupid questions. Then he'd probably tell me to butt out of his business and he'd walk off."

Sango blinked in slight surprise and awe.. "Wow, you have him all figured out, don't you?"

A faint blush appeared on the young girl's cheeks. "No I don't! Usually, yeah, but then he goes and does something completely unexpected!"

Sango's curiosity immediately piqued. "Oh, like what?"

Kagome gave a small squeak. "Oh, nothing. I'm gonna go ask Miroku how far we are from this village." That said, she darted ahead where Miroku was walking a bit behind Inuyasha.

Miroku was studying Inuyasha intensely. He kept noticing tiny things that he would do. _'Slight, sharp jerks of the head, like he's trying to shake off bad thoughts. He keeps flexing his claws, too. I wonder if he even knows he's doing it?'_ Miroku was so deep in thought that he jumped when Kagome tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.

"Oh, sorry!" Kagome gushed out. "Are you okay?"

Miroku calmed down, taking a few deep breaths. "I'm fine, you just startled me. Is there something I can help you with?"

Kagome muttered another apology. "Uh, yeah, I was just wondering how far away we are from the village."

Miroku raised an eyebrow at her, noticing her hands were wringing a part of her shirt. "We should reach it sometime tonight if we keep going at this rate. However it's most likely that we will reach it early tomorrow." Miroku leaned over to whisper in her ear so the keen-eared half-demon ahead wouldn't hear. "But that isn't what you truly wanted to ask, was it Lady Kagome?"

Kagome looked at Miroku, eyes wide. "How did you…?" she whispered back.

"I can tell," was the short reply. "So what did you _really_ want to ask?"

She made hushing gestures with her hands, shooting a fearful glance at Inuyasha's back. "Later!" she whispered quickly. Miroku nodded in understanding.

Shippo was walking next to Kirara, watching Kagome with interest and confusion. He looked to Kirara for an explanation. The small two-tailed cat gave a short cry and walked on. The young fox demon scratched his head and shrugged. _'I'll ask Kagome when we stop for lunch.'_

Inuyasha was unaware of what the others were doing. A strange, fuzzy, glowing light kept interrupting his thoughts. He had no idea what it was, having never seen it before, so he continued to ignore it. Unbeknownst to him, he jerked his head slightly whenever he shoved the light away to the back of his mind. Getting his mind back on track, he continued his mental debate. _'Maybe I should ask Kagome for some of those things she takes for headaches? Would that make it go away?'_ He frowned, a scowl on his face._ 'No, she'd ask if I was alright and she wouldn't give me any until I told her what's bothering me. Damn that nosy wench! What if I waited until everyone was asleep and snuck some out of her pack?'_ He silently chided himself for that thought. _'No, I shouldn't go through her stuff. She'd sit me so hard I'd be five feet in the ground! Keh, it was a stupid idea anyway. What if grabbed the wrong thing? I'd look like an idiot! No, I'll leave it. Surely it'll go away soon.'_

------------------------------------------------------------

'_That light again. I will know for sure if my suspicions are correct when the light is no longer blurry.'_ The Lord of the Western Lands was deep in thought as well. Though he did not physically move when he pushed the light away, his two travelling companions knew something was bothering their Lord.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Jaken asked, breaking the silence. He received silence as a reply.

Rin decided to try. "Lord Sesshomaru? May I ask what you are thinking?" Jaken looked scandalised at this question and began spluttering.

"Be quiet, Jaken." The toad-like retainer instantly shut his mouth. "I was thinking that perhaps I should search for the half-breed."

"Which half-breed would that be, My Lord? Naraku or Inuyasha?" Jaken asked, forgetting that he was supposed to be quiet.

Sesshomaru changed direction slightly, without breaking his stride, and continued in an unhurried manner. Despite his calm, dignified appearance, his mind was racing with questions that would become clear after seeing his younger brother. "Inuyasha."

"B-but Lord Sesshomaru! Why do you need to track down that worthless-"

"Are you questioning me, Jaken?"

"N-no, My Lord!"

"Then you will follow and remain silent about this issue."

Jaken bowed and nodded swiftly. "Yes, Lord Sesshomaru!"

Rin watched this exchange with much amusement. She always enjoyed watching Jaken splutter. _'He always looks so funny!'_

------------------------------------------------------------

Shippo sat down next to Kagome, picked up his food and started eating. The others followed with their own lunches. When he was halfway done the little fox looked up at Kagome, determined to find out what was wrong. _'Inuyasha better not have said anything stupid to her!'_ He decided to keep his voice down in case Inuyasha thought he was accusing him of having done something. "Kagome?"

"Hmm? Yes, Shippo?" she looked at his lunch thinking he might want more, but found it half-full.

"Kagome, is something bothering you?" he asked straight out before his courage failed him.

Kagome blinked. "No, why would you think there was?" She didn't want Shippo to know how worried she was about Inuyasha. _'He'd probably tell someone, even if it was just Kirara, and Inuyasha might overhear!'_

Shippo looked at her closely, wondering if he should believe her. _'She wouldn't lie to me, right? Besides, if it was anything for me to worry over I don't think she'd be hiding it very well.'_ Satisfied, he gave Kagome a nod and a grin before returning to his food.

Kagome gave a barely audible sigh of relief. Inuyasha's glance shifted to her as he just faintly caught the soft noise. He figured it was wiser not to comment on it though.

"Well," interrupted Miroku, "I must thank you for this lunch, it was most satisfying." He inclined his head toward Kagome.

"Yes, thankyou Kagome," Sango said, with Shippo and Kirara voicing their agreement in the background. Everyone but Kagome looked at Inuyasha expectantly.

He felt their eyes on him. "What?" he snapped. They said nothing and Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah it was good, now let's go." He growled as the fuzzy light returned to haunt his thoughts. The others shared worried looks, but moved on without a sound.

The silence was thick as they continued toward the village, seeming to drag them down slightly.

------------------------------------------------------------

The sun was setting, the last rays of light determined to reach as far as they could. When darkness set in, he stopped.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" asked a grating voice.

"Why have we stopped my Lord?" asked another, though this one was much softer, younger and definitely feminine.

"I will continue alone. Rin, you will spend the night here." The young girl took this chance to observe where they had stopped. It was a small clearing in the trees, just large enough for Ah Un to walk around. She nodded her agreement. "Jaken, you will watch her."

"B-but-" Sesshomaru gave his retainer a cold stare. "Yes, my Lord," he said as he bowed.

Rin did not like it when her Lord left her, but she knew that is just the way he is. She smiled brightly despite her sadness as Sesshomaru was lost to sight.

------------------------------------------------------------

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes in frustration. _'I am unsure what this light means or what it implies, but if my little brother is experiencing this light also, then I may have a clue. If my suspicions are indeed correct, it will not give me much to go on. Practically nothing is known.'_ He turned his gaze skyward. _'It is close to a full moon. If I find Inuyasha by then, at least one of my questions shall be answered.'_

------------------------------------------------------------

**A/N:** Well, there you go. Sorry if the update wasn't as quick as you would've liked. I really only write when the mood takes me and, sadly, that is not as often as I would like. I know, you're probably wondering what that strange light is? Well, you'll have to guess a bit longer. I did leave a clue to when you'll find out something! - Just to see if you read my Author's Notes, tell me your favourite colour in your review! (Mine's purple!) Until next time!


	3. Looks, sniffs and barks like a dog!

**A/N:** Hello! I am _sooooo_ sorry about the slow update! I really only write when the inspiration hits. My muses are lazy though and they like to take their sweet time.

**Disclaimer:** I no owny InuYasha. Okie-dokie?

"Speech"

'_Thoughts'_

**Recap:**

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes in frustration. _'__I am unsure what this light means or what it implies, but if my little brother is experiencing this light also, then I may have a clue. If my suspicions are indeed correct, it will not give me much to go on. Practically nothing is known.__'_ He turned his gaze skyward. _'__It is close to a full moon. If I find Inuyasha by then, at least one of my questions shall be answered.__'_

**Chapter Three: **

_A light, bright and somehow radiating danger. It appeared blurry as though whoever was looking at it had their eyes crossed and half-closed. A figure stepped in front of the light, casting shadows behind it. No features could be distinguished on the figure. It was as though the figure was swathed in total darkness, the complete opposite of the light behind it. The figure began chanting. The chant sounded as though the speaker was far away, the voice too soft to tell if it was male or female. The light became dimmer as the figure continued its chant. The light almost seemed to form something…but it was still too bright to see…_

"Come on, get up already!" whined a voice close by.

Inuyasha ignored it as best he could, desperate to cling to the fading images of his dream. _'If only that little brat hadn't woken me up! I might've been able to see what that light was!'_

"Hush, Shippo! Let him get what rest he can," Sango chided, interrupting Shippo's whining.

"Too late, I'm awake," Inuyasha growled out, throwing a heated glare at the small kitsune.

Shippo gave a small 'eep' at the growl and ran behind Kagome. The girl from the future gave Inuyasha a glare of her own. Slightly rebuffed, the half-demon turned away. He was afraid he'd snap at her if he held her gaze.

After another tense breakfast, they moved on to the village. It was only about two miles away now. As if on cue, the fuzzy light in Inuyasha's mind returned. Baring his fangs in a silent snarl, he braced himself for another day of frustration.

--

Slightly more than three hours after they broke camp, Sesshomaru stood at the spot where Inuyasha had slept. While to an onlooker, it appeared as though the dog-demon was perfectly still and doing nothing, this was far from true. He was intensely scenting the air, sifting through the various smells in an attempt to discern his little half-brother's. He recognised it almost immediately and began concentrating on that scent alone.

After a couple of minutes spent in deep focus, he had what he stopped for. _'It seems I was correct,'_ he thought grimly._ 'I must get to him before the full moon tomorrow night at all costs. With how slow he travels with his 'pack' though, I should catch him before tonight. All the better.'_

He set off at a brisk run, following the scent trail of Inuyasha and his group.

--

"So this is the village you were talking about, Miroku?" Kagome asked, looking around with interest. It was just like any other village they had been to and her excitement quickly died.

"Yes. We should restock our supplies here before moving on," Miroku said, walking off. If one looked ahead to were he was bound, one would see three pretty young ladies standing there chatting.

An expression of intense annoyance accompanied by a bright red angry aura was what currently defined Sango at that moment. "Why that…that…womaniser!" she ground out, staring daggers at the monk's back. She marched after him, slapping hand and boomerang at the ready.

Miroku suddenly felt an intense chill run down his spine along with a sense of foreboding doom mixed with pain.

Shippo shook his head and sighed. He'd wait until Sango calmed down before approaching her. He hopped off her shoulder and followed the irate demon slayer a safe distance behind with Kirara.

Inuyasha stopped next to Kagome. He said nothing as he was busy trying, once again, to get rid of the light.

"_Well, well, well. This is certainly interesting!"_ said a voice.

Inuyasha's ears twitched and he glanced around. It didn't seem as if the voice was addressing anyone from his group though, so he decided to ignore it.

"_So…half-demon, huh? Very curious. Tell me, my half-dog friend, what is your name?"_ the voice spoke again.

Another sweep with his amber coloured eyes revealed nothing, just as before. But now, Inuyasha was sure someone was talking to him. His eyes fell on Kagome, but it seemed as though she hadn't heard a thing. _'I don't wanna ask her if she heard anything…I know she's already been worrying about me. Even I know that hearing voices is a bad sign!'_

He caught the sound of a small snort. _"You're looking the wrong way, dog-boy. Look down!"_

Blinking bemusedly, he did as the voice said. Turning his gaze down, all he saw was a medium sized dog with light brown fur. The dog was staring at him intently. _"What d'ya want, mutt? Scram!"_

Kagome had seen the dog. It had been yapping at Inuyasha. _'It probably smells the dog in him,'_ she reasoned. She almost jumped out of her skin when she heard angry sounding barking coming from ear-level right beside her. Whipping around to face her companion, she was shocked to find that HE was the one barking.

"Uh, Inuyasha?" she said cautiously.

"What?" he half-snapped at her.

"I didn't know you could…uh…talk to dogs…" she ventured to tell him, licking her lips nervously.

"What?" he said again, this time sounding confused.

Kagome took a small step back before replying. "Well, you were talking to that dog there. Why didn't you ever tell me you could communicate with dogs?"

Inuyasha detected a slight accusatory undertone in her voice but he was too confused to care at the moment. "What do you mean? You woulda heard me tell it to scram loud and clear! It's not exactly hard to talk to an animal y'know. I've caught you talking to your cat back at your house before!"

"Well," Kagome started, blustering slightly. "Yeah, I talk to Buyo. But I don't meow at him! Inuyasha, you were barking back at that dog!"

Inuyasha jerked back as though stung. "I was not barking! Kagome, you've been standing next to me the whole time. You can't say you didn't hear me tell that dog to get lost?!"

As they had been arguing, their voices had steadily risen. Quite a few of the villagers were staring at them strangely. Sango had noticed and dragged Miroku back to their quarrelling friends, Shippo and Kirara trotting after her. When they reached the pair, the topic of their argument became quite clear.

"All I heard was you barking, just like a dog!" Kagome shouted.

Inuyasha, patience already painfully thin, shouted right back. "For the last time, I. Was. Not. Barking! I said, word for word, 'what d'ya want mutt, scram'! How could you not have heard that?!"

"Perhaps you two could finish this somewhere more…private? You are attracting many odd looks," Miroku said, more of a soft demand than a suggestion. "If you would kindly follow me, I can lead us to a more…secure…area." With that said, he spun around and walked off towards a big building.

"Do you know the people who live there?" Sango asked the monk as her and the others followed, eager to get away from the eyes of the villagers.

"Why yes, my dear Sango, I do. I exorcised a rather pesky lizard demon for them a couple of years ago. They offered that I can stay there whenever I pass through as a reward."

"So you didn't fake that one?" Shippo piped up. Miroku gave him a stern look.

"I do actually exorcise demons for people, Shippo."

The dog had decided to follow Inuyasha. Trotting up behind the group, he tried to start a conversation. _"So this is your pack? Quite an odd lot. You sure are an unusual individual!"_

Inuyasha whipped his head around to stare at the canine. _"Look, you, quit following us! Go home!"_

If dogs could grin, than this one would be. _"You don't seem to know what's happening. Therefore, as the closest canine, it is my duty to help you for as long as you are here."_

"_Help?"_ Inuyasha sneered, "_help with what? I already know I'm losing my mind! First these weird dreams started, then this light that keeps popping up in my mind and now I'm talking to some fleabag who I can understand for some reason!"_

Kagome nodded at the others who were openly staring at Inuyasha in confusion. "See? I told him he was barking." The others dumbly nodded back. They had stopped in the front yard of the mansion.

Inuyasha's ears twitched as he caught Kagome's words. "Barking?" he asked in a slightly strained voice.

"Yes," Kagome answered. "You are barking back at that dog. Why, is something wrong?"

"How could not know you were barking and growling?" Sango chimed in.

"How? Because it feels like I'm just talking normally!"

Miroku sat down, the others following his lead after a few moments. "Can you understand that dog, Inuyasha?"

Inuyasha snorted and flopped down angrily. "I think I'm going nuts! I can hear and understand that dog as easily as we're talking now! And I have no idea why! Before you ask again Kagome, no, I can't talk to dogs. I seem to have gained the magical ability to do just that overnight!"

"_You're so stressed out. Lie down and relax,"_ said the dog, who had sat down beside Inuyasha and was now wagging his tail slowly. _"Let me tell you some good news, okay?"_

"_Sure, go right ahead,"_ Inuyasha answered in a weary, resigned way. _"I could use some good news."_

The others were watching the dog and the half-demon with ill-concealed interest.

"_My name, my true name, is Rikoukawa. You are not losing your mind._"

"_That's nice to know,"_ Inuyasha said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Excuse me, Inuyasha, but may I ask what you two are discussing?" Miroku asked, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.

Inuyasha threw him a half-hearted glare. "He says his name is Rikoukawa and that I'm not going crazy."

"Wow," Kagome said, slightly awed. "Does he know why you can understand him?"

"_I hope you caught that because I hate repeating things,"_ he growled at the dog.

Rikoukawa simply rolled his eyes. _"I don't know for sure, the details are a little hazy as it's really just a legend for the most part…"_

_--_

**A/N:** Wow. Eight months! EIGHT! Why did no-one come after me with a pitchfork? I would've! I feel like banging my head repeatedly against my wall (which is all cement, by the way) for this! GRRR!!

Feel free to torture me in your imaginations.

I'm still not telling you anything useful, am I? Though you have learned that Inu can speak dog now. That's something, right?

If anyone's wondering, the dog's name roughly means 'hidden wisdom'. Rikou means 'wisdom' and Kawa means 'hide'. -cringes- Don't hurt me too much…

Thanks to **UpperClassK9** for beta-ing. -hugs you-

I am not expecting any reviews for this chapter. It'd be nice to get at least one though.


	4. Throw Me A Bone

**A/N:** Hello again! Look, it didn't take me eight months this time! Actually, I consider this some kind of record! I'm sorry if the chapter length annoys you, but that's just the way it is. They are slowly getting a little longer each time. The first chapter was just over 1000 words, this one is a little over 2100. All my long chapters seem to concentrated on my story **Digging Deeper**. (Shameless plug here, it's a Ranma ½, Inuyasha crossover. Go check it out if you're interested! Please?) Enjoy!

**Disclaimer:** Do you really think I'm Rumiko Takahashi? If you do, then I suggest you go see a doctor. I do not know Japanese, so how could I be her?

"Speech"

'_Thoughts'_

"_Dog speech"_

**Recap:**

Inuyasha snorted and flopped down angrily. "I think I'm going nuts! I can hear and understand that dog as easily as we're talking now! And I have no idea why! Before you ask again Kagome, no, I can't talk to dogs. I seem to have gained the magical ability to do just that overnight!"

"_You__'__re so stressed out. Lie down and relax,__"_ said the dog, who had sat down beside Inuyasha and was now wagging his tail slowly. _"__Let me tell you some good news, okay?__"_

"_Sure, go right ahead,__"_ Inuyasha answered in a weary, resigned way. _"__I could use some good news.__"_

The others were watching the dog and the half-demon with ill-concealed interest.

"_My name, my true name, is Rikoukawa. You are not losing your mind._"

"_That__'__s nice to know,__"_ Inuyasha said with a hint of sarcasm.

"Excuse me, Inuyasha, but may I ask what you two are discussing?" Miroku asked, unable to contain his curiosity any longer.

Inuyasha threw him a half-hearted glare. "He says his name is Rikoukawa and that I'm not going crazy."

"Wow," Kagome said, slightly awed. "Does he know why you can understand him?"

"_I hope you caught that because I hate repeating things,__"_ he growled at the dog.

Rikoukawa simply rolled his eyes. _"__I don__'__t know for sure, the details are a little hazy as it__'__s really just a legend for the most part…__"_

* * *

**Chapter Four: Throw Me A Bone**

"_A legend?"_ Inuyasha interrupted rudely.

Rikoukawa snorted. _"I said it's __**mostly**__ a legend. Bits of a myth, but all myths and legends have some basis in truth. I've heard about this before, but I've never seen it happen and never in my wildest dreams did I think I'd ever actually meet one!"_

"_Meet one? One what?" _

All those who couldn't understand were watching this interplay of canine vocabulary like it was an intense tennis rally.

Rikoukawa rolled his eyes skyward, as though seeking patience. _"Have you ever heard of the Royal Dog family?"_

"_Royal Dog family?"_ Inuyasha repeated blankly.

"_Yes,"_ Rikoukawa replied. _"They were the most powerful and majestic of all the dogs. It is said that humans tamed some of them. Those who were tamed eventually lost all supernatural power and have become the dogs you see as pets today. I am one such dog, a descendant of the tamed ones."_

The half-demon stared at the brown dog inscrutably. _"Yeah, I get that, so what about the others that didn't become human lackeys?"_

Rikoukawa glared at him in mild offence for the 'lackey' remark before answering. _"They absorbed the power the tamed ones had lost. However, something else was transferred to the wild ones along with it. The love, devotion and loyalty that they harboured towards humans became an integral part of the wild ones. As the generations passed, the wild ones became more human-like because of those very feelings. After many generations had passed, they started to lose a little more of their canine image. Not long after that, a dog was born that emerged as practically human-looking. That was when the first dog-demon was born."_

Inuyasha's ears perked up at this. A thoughtful look plastered itself on his face. "So that's how…I've always wondered," he muttered softly to himself, though the others heard him anyway.

"Wondered what?" Kagome ventured to ask. Inuyasha didn't hear her, though. He was too absorbed with what Rikoukawa was telling him.

"_Is that really how dog-demons started?" _he asked, slightly sceptical.

"_That's how the story goes. It's been passed down to all the domesticated dogs from generation to generation. The dog-demons were divided about humans, so only those who wanted their history known told their offspring. Though, considering you're a half-demon, one of your parents must've liked humans. So why don't you know this?"_ Rikoukawa asked in earnest.

"_He died the night I was born, so he never got a chance!"_ Inuyasha snapped, temper flaring up at the casual mention of his parents.

The brown dog pulled his ears back and laid them flat in a sort of canine apology. _"I'm sorry, I didn't know…"_

Inuyasha sighed, feeling a little guilty. _'Here's this mutt who's helping me out and I go and explode at him for something he couldn't possibly know!'_ he thought to himself in reprimand. _"'S okay, you had no idea. Anyway, you were saying?"_ he prompted, trying to put some gruffness behind it.

"_Ah, yes,"_ Rikoukawa said, raising his ears now that he had been forgiven. _"After that first birth, more and more pups were being born that way until no newborns retained their fur and paws. Thankfully, the demons had the ability to transform into their true forms. Many took the fact that pups were not being born as true pups as a grave insult. They blamed humans for this and attacked the nearest village, killing every human that lived there. Those who didn't blame the humans saw this unprovoked attack as an act of barbarianism and sided with the humans, forming a sort of protective guard over the other villages on the dog-demon's land."_

"_Wow,"_ Inuyasha said at last. _"That's some story! I guess my old man was one of the ones that guarded the humans… Are there others like him still out there? I only know three dog-demons: myself, my old man and my bastard of a half-brother, Sesshomaru. I got nothin' against the humans personally. Unless they do something to me or one of the others here. My father protected humans in his domain; my mother told me that. Sesshomaru hates humans, or so he says. A little human girl travels with him, so I dunno if he was just saying that or not…"_

"So, Inuyasha…did Rikoukawa tell you why you can speak dog?" Sango asked, partly from sheer curiosity, partly to fill in the silence that followed after Inuyasha trailed off.

"Hey, no he didn't! _Oi, I didn't ask for a history lesson! Now, can you tell me why I can talk to you or not?" _he demanded, unwittingly switching languages partway through.

"_Keep your fuzzy ears on! I'm getting to that; it ties in with what I'm telling you,"_ the dog growled, irritated by Inuyasha's brash behaviour. _"The Royal family had fur of pure white and were the most powerful. Any dog, now a pet or demon, with a coat ranging from white to grey are usually descendants of the Royal line. Very, very few are left with untainted bloodlines, most are unrecognisable from mixing with those of different coloured pelts. Judging from your hair colour, you happen to be one of those rare few."_

"_What?"_ Inuyasha exclaimed. _"You're saying I'm of the Royal bloodline?"_

Rikoukawa rolled his eyes to the heavens once more. _"You certainly look it. Now, as for why you can speak to me, I have heard that some of the most powerful dog-demons undergo a sort of…hmm, it's hard to describe. I suppose one could call it a ritual, if that… At a certain time, about every two hundred years or so, when the stars align just right or something, those who are chosen, which is usually one of the Royal line as they are the strongest, are gifted with many canine abilities: some of which were lost, are extremely hard to use or are inaccessible to certain individuals. Since you are only half, I'm guessing you cannot transform into dog form?"_

Inuyasha just 'humped' and chose not to answer.

"_I'm going to take that as a 'no',"_ Rikoukawa said sarcastically. _"If indeed you are going through this ritual thingy, as I suspect you are, then you may find yourself acting more dog-like than you do now. You may also get some new abilities. The first of these is always the ability to converse with canines if you couldn't before."_

"_Oh, goody…"_ Inuyasha replied, equally as sarcastic. _"You said something about it being your duty to help me. What did you mean?"_

"_It is the duty of all 'tame' dogs to help with anything or answer any questions that someone going through the ritual needs or might have. You are going through this because you are still 'wild' you could say. You are getting more in touch with your ancient heritage. That's all I can tell you about that," _Rikoukawa said, puffing out his furry chest and looking quite proud.

"I hate to interrupt what is most likely a very interesting conversation, but I do believe it is time for lunch," Miroku interjected smoothly. "If we go inside, they will serve us lunch if I can see the owner. He should recognise me and if I tell him you help me purify demons for people, then I'm sure they will serve you and let you stay as well."

Sango's eye twitched at this news. "Should? You mean you don't even know for sure?!" she shouted at the monk, who swiftly raised his hands in a placating gesture.

"I'll go check, shall I?" he said, eager to put as much distance between himself and the demon-slayer as was possible.

Sango sat there, fuming, awaiting his return.

"So," Kagome said, trying to lighten in the awkward moment, "what did Rikoukawa tell you?"

"A whole bunch of stuff," he grumbled, not really wanting to reveal his new information to them just yet, if he decided to at all.

"Yeah, like what?" Kagome pressed on, undaunted by his surly attitude.

"Why do you wanna know so badly? It's got nothing to do with you!" he finally snapped, his temper getting the better of him.

Kagome flinched as if he had physically hit her. She was getting sick of him always shutting her out and so, rallied back, frowning. "Why? I'll tell you why. It's because I care about you and if there's something I can do to help, then I will! But I can't help if I don't know what's going on!"

This simple yet honest reply made the retort Inuyasha had ready to throw at her next die on his tongue.

Shippo was itching to say something. With Inuyasha as worked up as he was, the little kitsune knew it would only end badly for him though.

Kirara was sitting beside Sango simply observing everything that went on.

After a few tense minutes went past, in which Kagome was waiting for Inuyasha to spill whatever it was to her, it became apparent that he was going to do no such thing. _'It must be something very important that's just for him to know or he simply doesn't want to tell us. Maybe he doesn't trust us enough. Maybe he thinks we'll laugh or react badly to whatever it is. What if he's scared to tell us or it's something personal he doesn't feel comfortable discussing? I'll ask him in private later; he might talk if it's only me,' _she reasoned. Mind made up, she resolved to get him alone, away from the others, and ask him again.

Thankfully, Miroku came ambling back; breaking the uncomfortable atmosphere. "He said we are all welcome to spend the night here, meals included." He gave a suave look to Sango as he said this, hoping it would make her anger with him dissipate.

"Just as well, monk," she hissed, glaring at him venomously.

Clearing his throat loudly, Miroku lead them inside where a nice lunch was being prepared for them.

* * *

Walking with a measured, dignified pace, Sesshomaru caught sight of a human village in the distance. He had followed his younger half brother's scent trail all the way here and guessed that Inuyasha was in that village. The dog-demon Lord did not fancy entering such a dismal place; it was unbefitting to one of his station. He certainly didn't want to go waltzing in there in broad daylight. Inwardly frowning, Sesshomaru stopped outside the village, out of sight, just in Inuyasha's scent range. _'If the pup has an inkling of common sense, he'll be searching for threats. Once he catches my scent, he'll come running right to me; demanding to know what I'm doing. If he does not come out before sunset, then I am left with no choice but to go in there and drag him out.'_

* * *

"_Oh, come on! Just throw me a little something! Aw, have a heart; it isn't as if I'm asking to rule the land!"_ Rikoukawa pleaded, whining incessantly.

Inuyasha just growled and bared his fangs, sending the dog a scathing look that practically shouted, 'be quiet now or there will be unpleasant consequences'.

"What's wrong?" Kagome asked, wondering just what it was that Rikoukawa was saying. The others instantly started listening in.

"Damn mutt's begging for food!" was all Inuyasha growled out before stuffing the rest of his food in his mouth in an effort to shut the dog up. It appeared to work as the dog's ears lowered and his tail drooped sadly.

Rikoukawa, however, sensed a kind soul that surely couldn't refuse him. He trotted up to Kagome, sat a foot away, and stared at her with his soulful brown eyes. To seal the deal, he tilted his head to one side and whined, _"Please?"_

The girl from the future, priestess or not, couldn't understand what he said, but she got the gist of it. "You want some food, boy? Inuyasha's just a meanie; you'll never get any food off him. Here you go," she said kindly, handing him half of her fish. Tail wagging happily, he carefully snatched it from her outstretched hand and devoured it. This simple action elicited a laugh from Kagome.

"_How low will you go?"_ Inuyasha muttered to the pooch.

"_Low? I have no idea what you're talking about; I'm simply making friends with this lovely young girl. She's a whole lot nicer than you are; I can't figure out how she puts up with you!"_ Rikoukawa retorted smartly. With his mind off food for a brief moment, sniffing in disdain, he caught the scent of a dog-demon not too far away. _"Do you smell that?"_ he suddenly asked Inuyasha.

"_Smell what?"_ Inuyasha snapped moodily. Despite this, he raised his head and scented the air himself. After a few moments, he stood up so quickly that he startled Kirara, who raced behind Sango. "Sesshomaru!" he ground out hatefully. That was all the warning the others had before their half-demon companion bounded away, over the property wall and out of sight.

* * *

**A/N:** How's that? Thanks to **UpperClassK9** for beta-ing! I know I'm putting a lot of focus on my little doggy OC, which is probably bugging some people… Don't worry, I'm not too fond of OC's and I hate it when they take over the story. Following this, Rikoukawa's only getting an important roll now because he's Inu's information source. He will not be in the fic for too much longer. He'll probably disappear next chapter, actually…I'm not confirming that, because I have no real plans concerning him for next chap.

How did you like my little history lesson? I made the whole thing up, so it'd come down to sheer coincidence if any part of it was even slightly true. Jeez, I'd get a kick outta that, that's for sure!

I'm also sorry to all Sesshy lovers. I know he doesn't get much 'screen time'. It's not that I don't like him, coz I do, it's just that I'm such an open, cheerful person that writing someone who's almost the complete opposite is very difficult for me.

Also, kudos to all those who get the chapter title's pun. -grins- Thanks to all those reviewed last chapter. I know how hard it is to stick with a story that hasn't updated in over six months. I really love all of you that have, despite my bad updating record, stuck with me. -GLOMPS- Thankies!!

If you want more of the story, please leave a review! Come on, throw me a bone, please?


End file.
